Talk about the rich getting richer.
Peri Marosevic, on loan from Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, recorded the second hat trick in team history – and second in just four days – as the Austin Aztex knocked off the Arizona Sahuaros 3-1 in a second-round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night in Austin, Texas. (Video highlights below)
Austin advanced to the third round of the tournament for the second straight year, and will play MLS club Chivas USA in the third round next Tuesday night in Fullerton, Calif. Last season, the Aztex lost to the Houston Dynamo of the MLS in the third round.
The 21-year-old Marosevic, a U.S. youth international, was making his second appearance and first start adding to an already-impressive attack for the Aztex, who lead the USSF Division-2 Pro League in goals scored and goal differential.
Sahuaros goalkeeper Brad Swenby started the match the same way he ended the amateur side’s first-round game: By saving a penalty kick.
Swenby turned aside Michael Callahan’s shot from the spot in the 10th minute after Stephan Campbell was taken down in the box – last Tuesday, Swenby made a big stop in a penalty kick shootout after Arizona tied the Ventura County Fusion of the USL Premier Development League.
The veteran keeper also made a nice save on a drive by Marosevic, but the former University of Michigan standout broke through in the 35th. Callahan slipped a pass to Marosevic on the left side, and he slotted a left-footed past Swenby for the 1-0 lead.
The Sahuaros, the only one of nine U.S. Adult Soccer Association teams to advance out of the first round, equalized when second-half substitute Kevin Cornwall ran on to a long ball from Alex Lopez and scored against Austin keeper Sean Kelley in the 55th.
But that came on Arizona’s lone shot of the second half – the Sahuaros also had but one in the first 45 minutes – and Marosevic put the Aztex ahead for good with 10 minutes to go. He collected a pass from Sullivan Silva and again went in down the left side before zipping a right-footed shot past Swenby.
Marosevic capped his hat trick in stoppage time, when Silva rounded Swenby on the side and crossed the ball back for him to finish in front. Maxwell Griffin posted Austin’s first hat trick Saturday in a 3-1 league victory over Miami FC.
Lineups
AUS: GK Kelley, D Allen, D Bernard, D Brill, D Worthen, M Silva, M Callahan, M Caicedo (Alvarez 73), M Campbell (Watson 61), F Marosevic, F McFayden (M. Griffin 72).
ARI: GK Swenby, D Parson (Cornwall 46), D DeLeon (Blase 52), D Duhaney, D B. Green, M C. Green, M Hampton, M Lopez, M Sleniker, F Thames (Auditore 62), F Garcia.
Scoring Summary
AUS: Marosevic (Callahan), 35
ARI: Cornwall (Lopez), 55
AUS: Marosevic (Silva), 80
AUS: Marosevic (Silva), 90+
Misconduct Summary
AUS: Marosevic (caution/foul), 31
ARI: Thames (caution/dissent), 65
ARI: Blase (caution/foul), 85
AUS: Callahan (caution/delaying a restart), 88
ARI: Hampton (caution/foul), 89
Match Statistics
Shots: Austin 20, Arizona 2. Saves: Austin (Kelley) 0, Arizona (Swenby 4). Fouls: Austin 15, Arizona 10. Corner kicks: Austin 7, Arizona 0.